If you’ve watched Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre, you probably know trends also existed back in the 1800s. Pride and Prejudice featured higher waistlines, simple silhouettes, and delicate fabrics like muslin and silk. At the same time, Jane Eyre was marked by more structured and elaborate clothing, including crinolines, corsets, and voluminous skirts. The only difference between microtrends and trends of the 1800s is that those trends used to be 30 years long. Yes, that means 30 years of wearing similar clothing until they are put down and reinterpreted by generations much later. However, trends now last for barely a few months until they are trashed. Unlike these ‘generational trends’, microtrends hardly come to define a few months, let alone a decade, but their emergence might have changed the game in fashion.
The trend cycle has notably shortened, with individuals now revisiting trends and aesthetics from the mid-2010s despite these styles being less than a decade old. This resurgence occurs as social media has quickly become disinterested in trends from previous decades, such as those from the Y2K era. Low rise skinny jeans for August, beige Birkenstock Bostons for September, Adidas Sambas for October, and sport sunglasses for November. The trend cycle is now embarrassingly small. Charlotte Brontë would not be proud.
Perhaps you’ve tried to erase memories of the time when marble-print polyester was ubiquitous, and owning the green House of Sunny dress was a big deal just because Kendall Jenner wore it once. The rapid pace of aesthetic trends not only results in your wardrobe feeling outdated within a year or even less but also contributes to thousands of discarded clothes ending up in landfills. These microtrends prey on our insecurities and encourage us to consume more in order to stay on trend (here’s a step-by-step guide on how to consume more).
An example of a microtrend would be “ketamine chic” or “indie sleaze.” Although these styles may originate from a yearning for a rebellious aesthetic, fast fashion giants such as Shein and H&M quickly replicate the trendiest aspects of these looks, hastening the trend cycle. They mass-produce the most distinctive items, turning them into mere microtrends with a predictable and short-lived existence. These clothes are often designed to be worn once or twice before being thrown away. This excessive consumption exacerbates the significant issue of clothing waste in the fashion industry, particularly impacting the Global South. A substantial amount of this waste is deposited in these regions, causing harm to local environments and adversely affecting the indigenous fashion and textile industries.
These garments are excessively manufactured and typically crafted from plastics derived from fossil fuels. This contributes significantly to the environmental and climate crisis by intensifying issues such as oil extraction, chemical pollution, and the release of microplastics into soils and seas, leading to the degradation of ecosystems. Rather than impulsively adopting a microtrend, maybe pose some essential questions to yourself before making a purchase: ‘Does it complement my existing wardrobe? Will I still wear it in five years? Is it crafted from natural fabrics? Is it comfortable?’ If the response to any of these inquiries is no, you’d be better off spending your money to buy something else, prioritizing both your finances and the well-being of the planet over the pursuit of momentary excitement.